Putty tool



July 3, 1951 wo 2,559,553

PUTTY TOOL Filed Jan. 24, 1949 INVENTOR. LEW/5 Wow-7:

" m/may Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUTTY TOOL Lewis Wolff, New York, N. Y. Application January 24, 1949, Serial No. 72,529

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to tools for the application of plastic substances and more particularly to a putty tool for use by painters and finishers for the application of a thin layer of putty to irregular surfaces which it is desired to make smooth for the application of superposing coatings.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a putty tool construction in which a supply of putty or similar plastic material is contained within a chamber forming the handle of the device and with convenient means for supplying the working end of the tool with a proper supply of the material.

Another object herein lies in the provision of structure of the class described which may deposit and spread the relatively small quantities of putty or similar plastic material, required in the present use, in such a manner that smooth thin layers may be applied quickly and easily where desired.

Another object herein lies in the provision of a putty tool having a resilient spreading element so that the applied plastic material may be tapered off at the border thereof to produce a desired thin edge, thereby reducing the amount of following sanding or abrading operations.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that the spreading element may be quickly and easily replaced when worn.

Another object herein lies in the provision of a putty tool which may be relatively light in weight to permit convenient manipulation thereof, and which may be easily disassembled for cleaning purposes.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fully appear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, partly an elevation, of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational View of the working end of the tool, schematically shown in operation.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view as seen from the plane 3-3 on Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevational view corresponding to Figure 3, with the spreading element and retainer element removed.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the retainer element.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the spreading element.

Figure "7 is a fragmentary elevational view as seen from the plane 11 on Figure 1.

The putty tool generally indicated by reference character l0 comprises broadly a cylinder element l2, a piston element I4, a nozzle element IS, a spreading element l8, and a retainer element 29.

The cylinder element I2 is of any suitable dimension, preferably circular in cross section and the diameter and length thereof are preferably such as to be comfortable when held in the hand of the operator and conveniently manipulatable. The upper end 22 of the cylinder element I2 is provided with a cap member 23 which is detachably engageable therewith. While I have shown this as being a threaded connection it may very well be of a bayonet or similar type. The cap member 23 includes an integral collar 24 within which the shaft member 26 of the piston element 14 is threadedly engaged.

The lower end 28 of the cylinder element l2 has detachably connected thereto the nozzle element It. Here again while I have shown a threaded connection. a bayonet or other type may be used for detachably interengaging these parts.

The piston element M includes a piston head 30, the shaft member 25 and a handle 32. The handle 32 is fixedly connected with the upper end of the shaft member 2.5, while the piston head 30 is detachably connected to the lower end of the shaft member 25. The piston head includes a plurality of washer members generally indicated by reference character 34 between a pair of which is secured the packing member 36. The washers 3d and the packing member 36 may be retained in position by the nut 38 and the cotter pin 40.

The nozzle element It has an irregularly shaped hollow body including a curved wall 42, a forwardly and inwardly tapering top wall 44, rabbet surfaces 46 and .48., the latter forming the resilient spreading element supporting. platform. The nozzle element l6 also includes side walls 50 and 52, a forwardly and inwardly tapering rear wall 54, a forwardly and inwardly tapering bottom wall 56, and a leading edge 58. The side walls 5|) and 52 have inner surfaces 60 and 52 respectively (see Figure 4) and the platform 48 I is cut away between them beginning at a point co-terminus with the leading edge 58 and extending rearwardly or inwardly to the edge 64. This arrangement of edges provides an exit opening 6'6 through which the plastic material 68 or 3 putty may be deposited upon the lower surface 11 from which it is spread or buttered upon the surface I upon which it is desired to apply a coating 12.

Projecting forwardly and upwardly from the platform 48 are a plurality of threaded studs I4 which form means by which the retainer element is held in place. While I have shown only two of these studs, where desired a greater number may be used.

The spreading element I8 is composed of resilient material preferably of such a composition that it is not deleteriously affected by the plastic material 68, or the solvents therein. I have found, depending on the nature of the plastic material, that synthetic resins, natural rubber, and artificial rubber, are useful constituents of the resilient spreading element I8. The element 18 includes an upper surface 16, a lower surface 11, side edges '18 and 19, a rear edge 80, and a front edge 8|. The element 18 is provided with a plurality of orifices 82 which are placed to correspond to the position of the studs 14 when the side edges 18 and 19 are in alignment with the side walls 50 and 52 and the rear edge 80 abuts against the rabbet surface 46. The distance between the rear edge 80 and the front edge 8! of the element It is sufiicient to provide a substantial overhang so that the forward portion I02 may flex under pressure to show the contours of the surface being treated, when the same is in planar.

The retainer element 20 is preferably in the form of a fiatoblong metallic plate and includes an upper surface 86, a lower surface 81, side edges 88 and 89, a rear edge 90, and a front edge 9!. The edges 88 and 89 are preferably co-terminus with the edges 18 and 19 and the orifice 92 co incide with the orifices 82 when the parts are assembled as shown in Figure 3, the retainer element being held in place by a pair of nuts 93. With the parts in assembled position, the upper portion of the opening 66 is covered and only the forward portion 61 (see Figure '7) is clear. This assures a depositing of the plastic material 68 on the element It in a desirable form for subsequent spreading by the element IB.

In use, a charge of plastic material may be placed within the cylinder element l2 and rotation of the handle 32 permits the discharge of a desired quantity of the plastic material on element l8 to be subsequently transferred to the surface to be treated, said material being projected through the forward portion 61 of the exit opening 86. Following this the spreading element is used to level off and taper as desired so that a proper filling layer or coating is provided. If the plastic material should harden in the exit opening 66 it is a relatively simple matter to remove the nuts 93, the retainer element 20 and the spreading element l8 to get at the hardened material. A similar operation permits substitution of a new spreading element when the same becomes worn. The cylinder element l2 may be charged from either end by uncoupling the parts as previously described.

It may thus be seen that I have disclosed a novel and useful tool for the application of putty and similar plastic materials which is of special value where a thin tapered or feathered edge coating is required.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A putty tool comprising: a cylinder adapted to contain a supply of putty; a piston element; means for mounting the piston element upon the cylinder for movement therein; a nozzle element; said nozzle element having an exit opening formed by two pairs of edges, each of the edges of said parts being disposed at angles with respect to each other, whereby each edge of a. given pair of edges is disposed substantially parallel to a corresponding edge of the second pair; a spreading element and means detachably securing said spreading element to said nozzle ele ment adjacent said exit opening, a portion of said spreading element lying in the plane formed by two above mentioned parallel edges.

2. A putty tool comprising: a cylinder adapted to contain a supply of putty; a piston element; means for mounting the piston element upon the cylinder for movement therein; a, nozzle element; said nozzle element having an exit opening formed by two pairs of edges, each of the edges of said pairs being disposed at angles with respect to each other, whereby each edge of a given pair of edges is disposed parallel to a corresponding edge of the second pair; a spreading element and means detachably securing said spreading element to said nozzle element adjacent said exit opening, a portion of said spreading element lying in the plane formed by two above mentioned parallel edges; said spreading element .being composed of resilient non metallic material.

3. A putty'tool comprising a cylinder adapted to contain a supply of putty; a, piston element; means for mounting the piston element upon the cylinder for movement therein; a nozzle element; said nozzle element having an exit opening formed by two pairs of edges, each of the edges of said pairs being disposed at angles with respect to each other, whereby each edge of a given pair of edges is disposed parallel to a corresponding edge of the second pair; a spreading element and means detachably securing said spreading element to said nozzle element adjacent said exit opening, a portion of said spreading element lying in the plane formed by two above mentioned parallel edges; said spreading elements being composed of flexible rubber.

LEWIS WOLFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 760,027 Selley May 17, 1904-. 1,306,830 Moore June 17, 1919 2,249,401 'Sieg July 15, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 48,548 Germany Sept. 10, 1889 

